DO YOU know your sea parsley from your seaweed? Or your muntrie from your mulberry?

Australian indigenous ingredients (aka bush tucker) have started to get some serious culinary attention in the past few years. While it’s true that these ingredients have been growing across the country for thousands of years, big-name chefs have been using them in their menus giving them some traction — think Ben Shewry’s Attica in Melbourne, and Rene Redzepi’s 10-week Noma stint in Sydney earlier this year.

Even Heston Blumenthal, of The Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston fame, released a series of products with Coles using bush tucker, including beef sausages with pepperberry.

The twist here is that none of these chefs is Australian but it’s their palates, profiles and perspective that have shifted these native ingredients into the spotlight and, potentially, into our own repertoire.

Jock Zonfrillo, chef and owner of Adelaide’s Orana and Blackwood, says he’s not surprised by the growing interest in indigenous foods, and not just because of public interest about where their food comes from.

“There is not a huge amount of information around Australian native ingredients but it is widely accepted that not only eating natives are healthy and healing for you, but also for the land, as generally, irrigation and any pesticides are minimal or not required at all,” he says.

With public interest sparked and growing popularity in these ingredients, we went hunting and gathering to get the low-down from chefs and suppliers on flavours, tips and tastes.

Sea parsley

Sea parsley (often called sea celery) is related to European parsley. Greg Hampton, head chef of indigenous restaurant Charcoal Lane in Melbourne, says it’s a great indigenous ingredient for the home cook.

“Parsley is a universal herb which you can never have enough of. Sea parsley, however, has a more complex flavour than normal parsley. It tastes like parsley but is very similar in flavour to celery with a hint of the ocean.”

Use in salads as you would parsley, in marinades or with seafood.

Finger limes

These fruity gems are elongated — hence the name — and hold delicate balls of citrus inside their strong skin. The flavour is distinctly limey and they look like coloured caviar. This makes them a perfect partner with oysters, and can be used to create a fancy cocktail.

Clinton McIver, chef and owner of Amaru in Melbourne, loves them. “Obviously, they look great with the caviar-like structure to the fruit itself, but they are also very different in flavour and intensity from one variety to another,” he says. “They are certainly best when in season and fresh, although freezing will assist in retaining a little more shelf life.”

Ryan Sessions, chef and owner of Fen in Port Fairy, also loves their versatility and the fact they can be frozen.

“They have a long season, from December to June,” he says. “And work really well with red meat dishes, too, like kangaroo.”

Lemon myrtle

A popular native ingredient, lemon myrtle grows a pretty flower and the herb has a fresh, lemon-lime flavour. According to Sophia Siegele, spokeswoman for South Australian bush tucker supplier Outback Pride, lemon myrtle gives any chicken, fish or vegetable dish an instant zesty lift.

“In place of traditional thyme, add lemon myrtle and some lemon pieces and garlic cloves to put a unique spin on a roast chicken,” she says.

“And only cook it for short amounts of time as the flavours will dissipate,” he says.

Muntries

Muntries are a small berry (about the size of a blueberry) and, when ripe, develop a spicy apple flavour. They can be dried, ground into a powder or served fresh as part of a fruit salad. Ryan Sessions is a big muntrie fan and he uses them in desserts at Fen — currently with paper bark and apple — and prefers them fresh, as does Clinton McIver.

“They are a great alternative to any recipe that calls for raisins or sultanas, especially when they have been soaked in a spiced alcoholic syrup, like a very nice Rutherglen muscat syrup,” Clinton says.

They also make great jam or relish and can work in stuffing for roasted meats.

Saltbush

Considered the perfect all-rounder, the dried leaves of the saltbush plant can be added to meats, fish, vegetables and in dressing. Greg Hampton suggests frying the fresh leaves in olive oil.

“The leaves crisp up and the salts deposit on the outside of the leaves. Then it can be used as a seasoning, which has an earthy salinity that complements seafood or red meat,” he says.

Riberry

The riberry is a small red berry with a sweet flavour that can be made into jams and jellies. Jock Zonfrillo describes them as tasting “like a sexy version of juniper”. He adds, “Riberry is perfectly at home muddled into a gin and tonic as we do in Blackwood or part of a pickled kohlrabi salad in Orana.”

In the kitchen

Clinton McIver likes to refer to the work of Jude Mayal from Outback Chef. “She is very passionate and works closely with Aboriginal communities to support and promote the growth in the industry,” he says.

Sophia Siegele from Outback Pride says to be creative and don’t be afraid to experiment.

“One of the best things about native ingredients is that they’re incredibly versatile and easy to incorporate into many favourite dishes,” she says.